Saving the stick shift

Nick Tragianis, National Post Driving intern, learns how to drive stick from a girl.

PHOTO: Jodi Lai, National Post

By Nick Tragianis, National Post

Originally published: January 24, 2013

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There is no better motivation than the threat of bodily harm. From cliché moments in action movies to clearing a prison cell block from the undead, a sense of impending doom and trepidation gets the job done.

Hence, being the responsible young driver that I am, I approached the art of driving manual with cautious optimism. On one hand, Post Driving editor Jodi Lai graciously offered lessons in her Volkswagen Rabbit. On the other hand, she threatened to slap me each time I stalled her car.

By the conclusion of our second lesson, I escaped scot-free, only because Ms. Lai lost count of the times I stalled her "poor Rabbit." Previously, my only experience was two weeks earlier, behind the wheel of my eldest brother and sister-in-law’s Toyota Yaris.

These onerous difficulties and risk of automotive abuse raises the question: With nearly every vehicle on the road today being automatic, why bother learning manual?

Glenn Donovan is a music teacher at Loretto College School in Toronto’s west end. While his first car was a "Chevy Monster" – an automatic 1971 Impala good for 380 horsepower – he tackles his commute from Richmond Hill these days in a dark blue, five-speed manual Mazda3 sedan.

"Let me put it this way, there’s nothing more exciting than having that connection than to be driving a manual," he says. "You feel like you’re in more control over the road you’re on, rather than when you’re in an automatic."

Mr. Donovan is right. Most of my driving experience is with a 2011 Subaru Legacy. While its CVT is a marvellous improvement over the brand’s four-speed automatic, the brief moments behind the wheel of the Yaris and Rabbit were far more engaging.

However, the manual transmission is losing its edge over automatics, thanks to advancements in technology and efficiency, according to Ben Mirecki of Carpages.ca, who also drives a manual Mazda. For years, the stick shift used to have the gas-sipping edge, but Mr. Mirecki says automatics are quickly catching up.

"I think automatics have definitely gotten a lot better in terms of fuel economy," he says. "Automatic transmissions are efficient enough that the operation of the transmission doesn’t require a lot of extra power, whereas in the past, they did drink more gas because of their need for power in operation."

The Legacy is a prime example. Natural Resources Canada’s 2012 Fuel Consumption Guide rates the CVT 2.5i at 9.1 litres per 100 kilometres in the city, and 6.4 on the highway. In contrast, the six-speed manual 2.5i is listed at 10.6 L/100 km in the city, and 7.4 on the highway.

Many automatic transmissions are available with a tiptronic mode, which lets drivers shift through gears manually. Even CVTs have that feature by programming preset gear ratios into the transmission’s control unit. While innovative, Mr. Mirecki believes they’re not a substitute for the stick shift.

"A lot of the [lower-end cars with tiptronic transmissions] aren’t designed to be very responsive," he says. "When you’re talking about control, that’s useless."

Automatics, however, are a better choice in terms of long-term value. Mr. Mirecki says manuals account for roughly less than 10% of vehicles listed on his website, and that automatics net a better resale price.

"There’s probably a much bigger market for automatic transmissions. I would say go with the automatic if resale value is your primary concern," he says. "You’re opening yourself up to a much bigger market than if you’re trying to sell a stick shift."

New car sales reflect that market outlook. According to Edmunds.com, 7% of new cars sold by the end of 2012 were equipped with a stick shift. While those numbers don’t seem promising, especially compared to 20 years ago when nearly one out of every four cars were manual, that figure is up from just 3.9% in 2011.

Some analysts say manuals will be extinct in another 15 to 20 years. A pox to that, I say, as there is no substitute for driving a manual transmission. Although many dual-clutch and sequential manual gearboxes shift faster than a human brain can (the Ferrari F430 Scuderia can do it in approximately 60 milliseconds), they’re still fun to drive.

Not only that, but I found myself using my ears and paying attention the engine’s behaviour rather than daydreaming about what dessert to eat after dinner. Having full control over the car’s operation through three pedals is the icing on the cake.

After the public humiliation I’m obliged to endure from a certain Post Driving columnist, the mastering of the neutral-to-first-gear shift, as well as many more slaps in the face, I feel as though I will be equal to Top Gear’s Stig in due time.

Thank you for the warm welcome, David Booth. I’m truly humbled to be given the opportunity to work alongside you, our editor Jodi Lai and the rest of the Post Driving staff.